Clarifier



Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES masses PATENT GFFIC WILLARD M. COFFIELID' AND THOMAS C, MOORE, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS OLARIFIER App1ication filed December 15, 1927. Serial No. 240,186. v i ,M

This invention relates to improvements in clarifiers, particularly for use with gasoline or similar cleaning fluids, and has for one of its principal objects the provision of an odorless clarifying system, which, will eliminate the necessity of keeping on hand large quantities of gasoline or cleaning fluid, as in this device a relatively small amount of fluid is continuously cleaned and kept in place at all times. a

Une oi the in'iportant objects oi" this invention is to provide, in a gasoline clarifier, means for automatically stopping the operation of the same when the gasoline becomes too dirty, or if moisture rises to such an extent as tocontact with the filtering elements. The dc ice further eliminates any chance of overflow or wasteot gasoline asa result of failure to clean when nccessar and will not ing fluid in the washing compartment at all times, and further means for continuously removing dirt from the cleaning fluid as the same is taken from the garments in the washer.

Still another and further important object of this invention is to provide, in a claritier, means tor using a very cheap filtering element or moisture absorbent, enabling the same to be thrown away when dirty, with practically no loss, and further means for readily and economically effecting such a change.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the dis- 0 closures in the accompanying drawings and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the dra *ings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a side elevatitm of the improved clarilier of invention, parts being broken away to show interior constructioi'i.

Figure 2 is a detail view of the automatically operated moisture proot safety device.

on the line els'- as indicated in Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a further detail view showing the valve operated in conjunction with the satiety device. 7 l i v Figure at is a partial sectional view, taken Figure 5 is a detail View of the sight glass for inspecting the condition of the cleaning fluid in the washer. i

As shownin the drawings: The reteren "e numeral 10 indicates gener- 5 ally a pipe leading troin the washer, and which is fitted with a valve 12 adjacent a button trap 14, which catches and retains buttons and similar-objects which might be removed from the clothes in the process of as washing. After leaving the trap, the gas is passed through. a pump 16 driven by a motor 18, the pump being of low speed, largevol nine construction, although there is provided ahigh speed pulley 17 for pumping over to the treating tank for cleaning out purposes, and also for drawing gas lt'roni underground storage when such-storage is used. Inthis way the expense of two pumps is eliminated. The pipe 20 isprovidedfor intake from underground storage, when used.

The pump 16 forces the fluid upwardly through the pipe thence through a sight- 24;, illustrated. in more detail in Figure 5, and thence downwardly through a moisg0 ture trap, comprising a cylinder 26, whichin ordinary operation allows the gasoline to pass downwardly therethrough, through a pipe 78, and thence upwardly into a 'clarifier tank 30. i

In the event that a veryheavy mud or dirt accumulates in the bottom ot the clarifier, or it moisture rises in the clarifier through the filter element, gasoline will back up through the pipe 78 into the cylinder 26, raising the so float 31, whichis providedwith a stem 32 projecting upwardly through the topof the container 26, and this in turn will operate a trip 3%, which will allow a release lever 36 to drop under the pull ot a helical spring 38, 95 thereby closing the mlve lO. The valve 40 is provided with an operating lever 42, which is mounted on a rotatable shaft l t, this shaft in turn passing, through the body'ot the valve l0, as best shown in Figure a, and having 10D mounted thereon an operating element 46, which in turn moves a pair of discs 48 into position to close ports 50, forming part of the valve structure d0.

Fitted in the lower portion of the clarifier tank 30 is a removable wire basket 52, having a filter spreader 5 attached thereto and depending therefrom, as best shown in Figure l. This is made of welded steel, and can be readily removed an d washed when necessary.

The incoming gas from the pipe 78 strikes this cushioned spreader, which throws it in all directions without undue agitation and then passes upwardly through any desired chemical material which may be placed in the elarifier for cleaning the gasoline, and thence through another spreader.

Above this the dirt from the gasoline is held, and as the fluid works upwardly it passes through the moisture trap shown at 56, which is composed of a pair of wire nettings so arranged as to be readily removed and cleaned, and which is adapted to be filled with a cotton by-product similar to cotton Waste which will absorb in water or gasoline. The pipe 58 leads from the clarifier to the washer, and gasoline passing therethrough is completely cleaned and ready to be used in the further washing or cleaning of clothes or similar articles.

Adjacent the clarifier is positioned an open top funnel 60, which is used in connection with the dirt trap, to which it is attached. Gasoline enters this trap andthe air is released before it passes into the continuous flow chamber 30, thence going further toward elimination of agitation. This funnel is also used as a vent pipe and as a means for recharging the clarifier with chemicals with out removing or interfering with any other part of the mechanism.

Avalve 62 is mounted on the clarifier, lead ing into'a pipe 6%, which in turn drains into a treating tank 66, which treating tank is empty at all times except when thevalve 62 is opened for cleaning out the tank 30 or for treating old gasoline. A sight-glass 68 extends from the top to the bottom of this treating tank, so that the quantity and quality of the gasoline therein may be readily observed.

A test valve 70 is plac'edon the outlet pipe of the treating tank so that a small amount of gasoline or cleaning fluid may be withdrawn for test before pumping into the tank 30 for the usual run.

' .Inthe bottom of the treating tank is provided a muck draining valve 72, which is used for draining mud and fi th from the bottom of the tank, tl'ns cleaning. becomlng necessary only at long intervals.

, For cleaning the clarifying chamber 30 all the gasoline therein is pumped over to the storage tank 66, after wnich the filtering elements, wire baskets, etc., maybe removd and readily cleaned, and the interior walls of the tank washed, after which the baskets and filters and the top 74 are replaced and the device is again ready for operation.

It will be obvious that herein is provided a clarifier which at all times and in continuous operation treats all of the gasoline for a cleaning plant and without the necessity of maintaining a large volume of gasoline on hand, and this system requires only a relativelysmall amount of gasoline, say from twenty to forty gallons, plus the gasoline in the washer, instead of the systems which have heretofore been used requiring five hundred to five thousand gallons.

Further, the device is safe, eliminating accidents, and is efficient and satisfactory in operation.

\Ve are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range Without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than, as necessitated by the prior art.

lVe claim as our invention:

1. In a clarifier, means for continuously removing foreign material from a fluid while the fluid is acting in a cleaning capacity, said means including automatically operating moisture and dirt removing traps for stopping said continuous operation when an excess amount of foreign material. accun'iulates, said trap comprising a cylinder in the system, a float in the cylinder, a valve adjacentthe cylinder, and means connected with the float for automatically closing said valve when the float attains a certain predetermined height.

2. In a elarifier, means for continuously removing foreign material from a fluid while the fluid is acting in a cleaning capacity, said means including an automatically operating trap for stopping said continuous operation when an excess amount of foreign material accumulates, said trap comprising a cylinder in the system, a float in the cylinder, a valve adjacent the cylinder, and means connected with the float for automatically closing said valve when the float attains a certain predetermined height, said means comprising a lever handle in the valve, a helical spring normally maintaining said handle in closed position, and a manually set trip operating to maintain said handle in open position, said trip being operated by thefloat.

8. An automatically operatii'ig closure valve for clarifiers, comprising a cylinder in the clarifying pipe line, a float in the cylinder, a valve in the pipe line adjacent the cylinder, and; means operatedby the float to close said valve when the float attains a certain predetermined height, said means comprising a pin on the float extending upwardly 7 through the top of the cylinder,a resilient element connected to the valve and normally acting to close the same, and a trip means adapted to be manually set to maintain the valve in open position, said trip means being sprung by the float rod.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

WILLARD M. COFFIELD. THOMAS C. MOORE. 

